Among the Stars
by Vixen7117
Summary: A peculiar story that is as strange as life itself. So many questions, but no clear answers. Read and see with your own mind. (Thoughts and Theories are greatly appreciated)
1. The train

This feeling, it felt so heavy yet so light at the same time. It felt like time had lost all meaning. Was this a dream or was this...?

Chisa woke up to the sound of a butterfly flapping around her head. She took in a deep breath before stretching. The sunlight leaked in through the window and brightened up the room, yet shadows still survived and hid all around the room. Chisa looked at the little blue butterfly before opening the window and shewing it away.

'What was I dreaming about?' Chisa thought to herself,' I think there was water and maybe some kind of fish. Why are dreams so hard to remember?"

As Chisa prepared for the day, she tried to recall what she dreamed of. Unfortunately, she still couldn't remember anything beyond the water and maybe a dolphin in her dream. After getting dressed she prepared some eggs for herself and ate at the breakfast table. There she noticed a letter on top of an envelope, prompting her to pick up the letter and read.

Dear Yukizome

I had some important business to attend to, so could you deliver this envelope for me? The envelope is for the curio shop owner, whose shop is located in the heart of town. Thank you for being so reliable.

Sincerely

Munakata

Once Chisa finished the letter, she sighed a bit before smiling. She didn't dare open the envelope and simply placed it in her apron pocket. Delicately, she picked up her breakfast dish and washed it in the sink. She scrubbed the dish until not a single spec of food remained on the plate. After the plate was dry, she was free to deliver the letter.

Chisa opened the door of her cottage and walked out into the sunlight. When she looked up at the clouds she could make out a sheep, an elephant, a deer, a giraffe, and maybe a ram. Staring up at the clouds reminded her of when she was younger. As she walked over the old wooden bridge, she continued to look up at the clouds and try to find other familiar shapes until she heard something rather odd. Under a lonesome willow tree, a rabid gray dog was fighting with a raven over a dead fish. The gray dog continuously barked while the raven cawed back. Right as the two were at their loudest, a red fox slipped past them and took off with the fish. Chisa shook her head at the nonsensical scene before continuing onward to the town.

...

Chisa reached the town in the afternoon. Sure enough it was lively as ever with people of all ages walking about. When she walked down an alley she noticed a middle aged women working on a stained glass window. Next to her, a small child played around with a wooden figure of a zebra.

"What animal is that in the window?" Chisa asked.

"Cervus canadensis" the woman replied.

"What?" Chisa asked.

"An deer" the child said.

"Now I see" Chisa said," thank you"

With that, Chisa continued onward past the town square. There, all sorts of people walked and talked. Groups of elderly women sat in the shade, while young girls frolicked by the fountain. Everyone was so different, yet when they were side by side their unique features seemed to meld together with one another like the rows of bricks under their feet. Just when Chisa thought she could tune out the people's words she overheard three children fighting.

"What? Wolves are clearly the superior canine" the first child said.

"No, dogs are way better" the second child said," my mother said so"

"What about foxes?" the third child spoke up," they're pretty cool"

"Foxes aren't even a canine" the first kid said.

"Dogs are the best because they're so loyal" the second kid said.

"Wolves are loyal too and they're anatomy is much more efficient for survival compared to a dog" the first kid.

"I think foxes have good anatomy" the third child said.

Chisa sighed as she walked past the children and out of the town square. She walked past the doors and windows until she noticed a toy shop window. While Chisa was a mature woman, she always had a fascination for toys. She looked into the window to see all sorts of dolls, teddies bears, trains, and puppets. Looking at it reminded her of a simpler time when all she needed to be happy was a fuzzy stuffed companion. A few more minutes passed before Chisa shifted her attention back onto the task Munakata gave her.

Chisa walked until she found a peculiar red door decorated with black brush strokes that looked like vines. When she looked above the door, she spotted a sign plated in silver that said "Curio Shop". Figuring this was the place the envelope needed to go, Chisa knocked and entered the store.

A bell chimed overhead and announced chisas entry, however no one was around to welcome her. Chisa looked around the shop to see an array of peculiar items and old antiques. As she surveyed the shop, her eyes honed in on a wall mirror decorated with jewels like sapphire, obsidian, topaz, ruby, opalite, and emerald. When she stepped closer, she could she her image reflected in the mirror. She looked at her lovely green eyes and luscious hair. However, the more she looked at herself, the more she couldn't ignore the small spots of red in the white of her eyes and the various strings of hair that were out of place. Dismayed, Chisa shook her head and looked for something non reflective. She found solace in a simple tapestry depicting a unicorn and a dragon. It was rather odd to see a unicorn and dragon side by side, however the unicorn some how looked more fearsome than the dragon. Perhaps it was the unicorns' cold eyes that made it so threatening.

"Do you like mythical creatures?" A female voice asked.

Chisa turned around to see a young woman behind the counter. She wore a scarlet scarf around her neck and had short light brown hair.

"Um...I guess" Chisa said.

"My favorite is the Phoenix" the young woman said.

"Is that the bird that lives forever?" Chisa asked.

"I don't think it lives forever" the young woman said," if it's always changing and burning away what it once was, then does it really live forever?"

"I don't know" Chisa said," are you the shop keeper?"

"Yes I am" the young woman said.

"I have something for you" Chisa said as she took out the envelope from her apron.

"Ahh, I see" the young woman said," thank you".

"You're welcome" Chisa said.

"Here, take this" the young woman said as she offered a piece of paper to Chisa.

"That's very kind of you" Chisa said as she took the piece of paper and put it in her apron pocket.

"Kindness is more prosperous" the young woman said.

"I'll remember that" Chisa said as she walked out the door," goodbye"

Just as Chisa fully walked out the door, she bumped into a familiar face.

"Oh, Chiaki" Chisa said," I'm sorry, I didn't see you"

"It's okay" Chiaki said as she dusted herself off," I really should watch where I'm going"

"You dropped your book" Chisa said as she picked up a book off the ground.

"Thank you miss yukizome" Chiaki said as Chisa handed her the book.

"What are you reading?" Chisa asked," it must be very interesting"

"It's a book on big cats" Chiaki said.

"Big cats?" Chisa asked.

"Yeah, like lions" Chiaki explained," it just looked so interesting"

"Maybe when you're done, i could read it" Chisa said.

"Yeah" Chiaki said until the evening bell rang.

"I need to get home" Chisa said," but we can talk tomorrow"

"Okay" Chiaki nodded.

With that, Chisa began to walk out of town. The further she walked, the less people were out and about. By the time she reached the outskirts of town the sun was setting and the stars were starting to light up in the sky. Chisa looked up at the night sky to see what constellations she could find. She passed the willow tree before she spotted the constellation of Delphinus resting over her cottage. Just as she connected the stars in her mind, Chisa heard a noise as loud as a babies cry. Following the sound was a blinding light that forced her to close her eyes. Once the sound had vanished, Chisa drifted in the darkness for a bit until she could open her eyes again. After she had some trouble opening her eyes, she found herself sitting in an old fashioned train.


	2. The Cetaceas and the Artiodactylas

Chisa looked around the train to find no one was around. When she checked the baggage compartments she found a few bags that were left unmarked. Just as she was about to lift the curtain from the window, she thought she spotted something in the corner of her eye. She turned her head to see Chiaki sitting in the seat across from her.

"Oh, hello Chiaki" Chisa said," I didn't see you there"

"Same too you" Chiaki said.

There was a long pause of silence as the two looked at each other. During the pause, the train engine continues to rustle like a mechanical heart. Chiaki looked at Chisa before turning her attention to the window. Without a word, Chiaki lifted the curtain from the window and looked out. Curious, Chisa looked out the window to see the larger than life constellation of Eridanus.

"The celestial river" Chiaki said.

"Can you imagine swimming in a river of stars?" Chisa asked.

"If you swim in the river at night you could" Chiaki said.

"I mean real stars not their reflection" Chisa said.

"Then no" Chiaki said," look by the 40 Eridani"

Chisa looked to see a pod of dolphins swimming in the celestial river. They looked like dolphins yet each of their skins were an odd pastel color covered with stars. Some dolphins had markings and a horn while others were a solid color and rather small. One red dolphin the size of a killer whale swam close to the train window. It had white stripes and a golden horn. Curious, Chiaki opened the window and reached her hand out to the dolphin. When she placed her hand on it, the dolphin skin surrounding her hand seemed to ripple like water. The train whistle screeched, causing the pod of dolphins to swiftly swim away into the depths of the celestial river.

"What did it feel like?" Chisa asked as Chiaki closed the window.

"It felt warm yet cool at the same time" Chiaki said as she looked at her hand," what color did you think it was?"

"I'm pretty sure it was red" Chisa said.

"And here I thought it was blue" Chiaki said.

"Maybe it was blue" Chisa said.

"Maybe it was a color we could never imagine" Chiaki said.

"How would we know?" Chisa asked.

"We would most likely never know" Chiaki said.

There was another long pause of silence, until Chisa spotted something in the window. Walking amongst the stars, was what appeared to be a deer like creature. It had golden antlers and a long horn that pointed upward like a crown. Wrapping around its legs were golden vines. Its coat was pure white except for a few golden spots and a neck of golden fur. Despite it looking like a deer, the creature had a golden horses tail that was tied together by a dead black vine. Chisa stared at the strange creatures bright blue eyes as it walked with golden hooves. As the deer walked, it kept its head lowered to the ground. Looking closer at it, Chisa noticed that the creatures hooves, antlers, and horns were dull and rounded.

"Look, over there" Chiaki pointed out.

Standing a distance from the deer was a ram like creature. It too had a single horn, but ,just like its other two horns, it was black and pointed downward. Like the deer, it's fur was white, but it had black spots and a patch of fur around its neck. Black thorns wrapped around its legs as it stood on black hooves. Its tail was a long length of black fur that was wrapped in a golden vine with an elegant flower on it. Chiaki looked at the ram creature to see that its horns and hooves were sharper than its blue eyes.

The ram stood tall with its head raised until the deer approached it and stomped its front legs. In response, the ram turned away and ignored the deer. The deer proceeded to nudge the ram with its nose causing the ram to stab it in the leg with its horn. Chisa rose up from her seat and was about to open the window until Chiaki put a hand on chisas arm. Dismayed, Chisa looked at the wounded deer as it licked its wound. She found relief in seeing that the wound wasn't that deep. After cleaning its wound, the deer looked back the ram and wagged its tail two times. The ram stared at the deer before bolting away. Following that, the deer walked back the other way.

Chisa and chiaki sat speechless at the sight they just witnessed. Just as it seemed another long pause of silence was about to begin, the train slowed down until it made a complete stop.

"Welcome to _émouvoir_ station" a voice spoke over the speaker.


	3. The Sickness

"Should we look around?" Chiaki asked.

"Yes" Chisa said," I need to stretch my legs"

"Okay" Chiaki nodded," follow me"

Together, the two stepped off of the train and entered a station made of a beige white stone. Once again there was no one around, however they could here the echos of someone speaking and what sounded like laughter. They followed the sounds until they reached a round open room.

In the center of the room, standing on a soap box, was a woman dressed in a fancy black suit. She wore glasses and a black top hat with black feathers that glistened with a tinge of purple. I her hand, she held a cane with a curved top. The woman in black held a dignified formed that was as stiff as a statue. She took a pause to drink from her canister and clean her glasses with a fancy handkerchief.

On the floor across from the woman in black laid a less sophisticated woman dressed in a ragged grey dress. Her long hair was messier than a rats nest and grey as death. The woman appeared very malnourished, as shown by her horrifyingly pale skin being tightly wrapped on her bones and revealing them and lines of thin veins. Across her body, loose bandages barely covered what seemed to be self inflicted wounds. The most notable of these wounds was a frighteningly large gash in the woman's head. Despite these nightmarish features they pales in comparison to her god awful laugh. The grey woman just laughed and laughed, so much that she barely breathed or swallowed as shown by exhausted lungs and endless streams of saliva that leaked from her mouth.

"Now seeth here!" The woman in black spoke in a prideful tone," by mine astute cognizance, I has't ascertained the veridical panacea to the sickness"

Chiaki and Chisa just stared and tilted their heads at the woman's revolutionary discovery. Meanwhile the grey women laughed ten times as loud.

"To be sovereign of the sicknesses effects, one need only useth thy argumentation to erode the sickness until it is no more" the woman in black said.

"Em naht enasni erom raf si ouy ekil worc dlo na!" Ssenkcis eht tseb ot tpmetta suoiralih a dna demialcorp fles ylno si eruc ruoy!"

"Detain thy parlance, cur!" the woman in black said,"I would denominate thee a swine, but coequal swines has't preeminent compared to thee!"

"Sdrow ruoy ni ssenkcis eht leef reven lie in tub ,tnaw uoy as seman ynam sa em llac" the grey girl laughed.

"Then I wilt chastise thee with mine cane" the woman in black said.

With that, the woman hopped down from her perch before stepping over to the grey woman and beating her with the cane. Upon the first strike, two of the grey woman's ribs broke. Despite the bloody fracture, the grey woman smiled and laughed. Infuriated, the woman in black struck the grey woman again. This time, the grey woman's leg bone was shattered. Once again, the grey woman laughed hysterically at the woman in blacks' attempt to make her react differently.

"Ti sleef regnol on dnim detsiwt ym esuaceb ,em otno ssenkcis eht tcilfni ton nac uoy" the grey woman laughed with crossed eyes.

"We should go" Chiaki whispered to Chisa.

Chisa agreed to chiakis suggestion and the two left while the woman in black continued to beat the grey woman. They walked to the right to find an entrance to a large open greenhouse. Despite its name, the greenhouse was only filled with dead black trees and plants. As chiaki and Chisa walked to the center of the greenhouse, a thick smog blanketed the greenhouse air. Chiaki and Chisa both coughed a bit while the smog stung their eyes. Just when it seemed the smog was at its thickest, Chiaki and Chisa stumbled upon a cave. Seeking shelter from the smog, the two entered the cave and walked in until they were free from the smog. When they stopped deep into the cave they could barely see each other's silhouette.

"I hear your two hearts beat" a deep and scratchy voice said," tell me what brings you to this den"

"We sought shelter from the smog" Chiaki said.

"Ah, yes the smog" the voice said," even though the fire has long past, it still curses this area with its after effects" the voice said"

"What caused the fire?" Chisa asked.

"The only beast that does not call itself a beast" the voice said," granted they are the poorest excuse for a beast"

"Why is that?" Chiaki asked.

"They are impure and, like the flames they cause, they devour and destroy whatever they touch, pollute the air, and always hunger for more foundation and growth" the voice said," such creatures are beyond being called beast rather they are parasites"

"But doesn't fire serve to help the world on occasion?" Chisa asked.

"No, those monsters serve only to destroy" the voice growled," that is why the sickness exists."

"We've heard that term before, but what is the sickness?" Chiaki asked.

"It is the only true predator that they have, and, due to the monsters repulsively high population, the sickness preys on them as its main prey" the voice said," the sickness infects almost every single monster, except for a few rare cases"

"What are the symptoms of this sickness anyway?" Chisa asked.

"It will tear you apart from the inside, yet it will never directly make you bleed" the voice explained," the pain is beyond any physical injury you may acquire as it does not heal as seamlessly"

"We saw a person who said they had a cure to it or I think that's what she said" Chiaki explained," is it true?"

"Those fools have only found ways to numb the pain that comes with the sickness" the voice said," the only true way a monster can hope to be free from the sickness is to become a pure beast. I could help you be free from the sickness, so long as you lend your wills to me"

"I don't know" Chisa said," I don't think we are infected"

"Of course you are" the voice spoke up," you smell of monsters, thus you are infected by the sickness"

"Show is who you are" Chiaki said," then we'll consider your offer"

"I WILL NOT BE ORDERED BY MONSTERS!" The voice barked.

"The we'll go" Chisa said.

"No, please keep me company" the voice begged.

"We need to catch our train" Chiaki said.

"No, stay longer" the voice insisted.

"Chiaki, we need to run" Chisa whispered to her.

"YOU IMPURE MONSTERS CAN NEVER HOPE OF OUTRUNNING ME!" The voice barked," I am swifter than the wind"

Despite the voices' words, Chisa and chiaki still tried to run. They ran with all the power of their adrenaline. As soon as they began to run, two pairs of footsteps followed them. Noticing this, Chiaki picked up the nearest stone she could find and flung it in the direction of the footsteps.

"Aru!"the voice howled in pain," How dare you strike me!"

Chisa and chiaki continued to run as a burst of flames erupted from behind them. Both of them still ran, but ,when chiaki took a second to look back at the flames, she saw the beast. Standing behind them, was a blood red fox the size of a lion. As it cried in pain, the fox was surrounded by flames. The most terrifying thing about the beast, beyond the dried blood on its muzzle, was the collection of cuts and injuries, including a few spears in its back. Its eyes were firmly held closed by severe burns.

Chiaki ran alongside Chisa out of the cave, through the dead greenhouse, and the station to reach the train. By the time they reached the train, the blood red fox was nowhere to be seen. They both panted as they took their seats. Right when the trains engine started to awaken, the train door opened to reveal three new passengers.


	4. The Passengers

The first passenger to enter the train was an anthropomorphic german Shepard wearing a modest green gown made of cotton. Following behind her was an anthropomorphic wolf dressed in a white suite and tie with glasses stationed on his muzzle. After the wolf came the last passenger, a fox entered wearing only a red sweater and carrying a mysterious sack. In a timely manner, each one took a seat in the seats on the other side of them.

"Hello there" the German Shepard greeted to Chisa and chiaki," what are your names?"

"My name is Chisa and this is Chiaki" Chisa explained.

"What blessed names" the German Shepard said," I was blessed with the name Shiloh"

"How about you two?" Chiaki asked," who are you?"

"You can call me Richard" the wolf said as he looked around his surroundings," curious"

"Oh, me?" The fox asked nervously," I think had a name once, but I don't think it suited me that well so I just don't have a name"

"Perhaps we should call you fox for now since that is your species" Richard said.

"That makes sense, thank you" the newly dubbed fox said.

"You can't reject the name you were born with" Shiloh said.

"I'm sorry" fox apologized," but if I have a name, I want it to be true to who I am".

"So where do you think we are?" Chiaki asked in attempt to change the conversation.

"It is very like that this situation is a result of large quantities of dopamine being released in my brain causing me to experience a life like yet surreal experience" Richard theorized.

"No, this train must be the path to heaven or hell" Shiloh proclaimed.

"Maybe we entered a different dimension somehow" Chiaki suggested.

"What do you think fox?" Chisa asked.

"I don't know" fox said," anyone of those theories could be right or wrong, but what if they were all simultaneously right."

"How do you propose that could happen?" Richard asked.

"I don't know" fox said as his ears lowered," it's just a possibility"

"Dear child, are you alright" Shiloh asked.

"I'm just a little stressed" fox said.

"Is it because you are in a new environment surrounded by strangers?" Richard asked.

"A bit of that" fox admitted.

"Oh dear child, you don't have to worry" Shiloh reassured," I'm sure we were put here for a reason"

"If you are feeling stressed, you should walk around a bit and make sure to take deep breaths" Richard advised," if you do that then endorphin will be released and will help alleviate your stress"

"Thank you" fox said.

"While you do that" Chiaki said," we can have a nice chat about something pleasant"

"Like tea" Chisa suggested.

"I love tea" Shiloh said," Green tea is my favorite"

"I like green tea as well" Richard said," it has various benefits for the body"

"I'm more of a jasmine tea drinker" Chisa said.

"Me too" Chiaki said," how about you fox?"

"I don't know" fox said," I mean I like chai latte, but I also like rose tea, Darjeeling tea, and a lot of other types of tea"

"I don't think I've ever heard about Darjeeling tea" Richard said," perhaps my subconscious took note of it somewhere in my life"

"You keep mentioning things related to the brain" Chiaki pointed out," why is that?"

"The brain controls our body and experiences" Richard explained," their are countless experiments that have proven this to be true"

"No, it is the soul that dictates the body and its experiences" Shiloh said.

"What proof do you have of that?" Richard asked.

"Time and time again I think and experience things through my soul" Shiloh said," God said that we experience through our soul and his word is law"

"Your God is not a source of proof and your experiences can be easily be explained through my knowledge" Richard said.

"How dare you!" Shiloh barked.

As Shiloh and Richard continued to bicker, fox retreated to a seat next to Chisa. When chiaki looked, she could she fox was shaking with his tail tucked between his legs. Just before the two canines could start shouting at each other, the train slowed down. When the train made a complete stop, a voice spoke of the intercom. Outside Chisas and chiakis window emitted a blinding light while Richard and shilohs window was just a void.

"This must be my stop" Shiloh said as she looked at the bright light.

"It seems my supposed stop is here as well" Richard said while staring into the void outside his window.

With that, the two canines exited the train leaving only Chisa, Chiaki, and fox. Eventually the train started up again and moved past the light and the void. The trio stood in silence, unsure of what to say or do.


	5. The Artist

"Are you okay, fox?" Chiaki asked.

"Tell me, where do you think you belong?" Fox asked in reply.

"We live in our home village, so maybe there" Chisa said.

"But do you really belong there?" Fox asked," what if you belong somewhere else or you don't belong anywhere?"

"That's irrelevant, I think" Chiaki said," of in happy there and I have friends there then I belong there"

"Then maybe I don't belong anywhere" fox said dismayed.

Just before Chisa could speak and try to comfort fox, a flock of white swans flew past the train window. Fox looked with tear filled eyes at the flock of swans. Chisa and chiaki looked before spotting a black swan, flying at the head of the flock.

"Look fox, it's a black swan" Chiaki pointed out.

"You're right" fox said with a perked smile.

"Say fox, what's in your bag?" Chisa asked after the swans flew past the train.

"I can show you" fox said before pulling open the red sac.

Fox rummaged through the sack before pulling out a sketchbook. When fox offered the sketch book to Chisa she happily opened it. The first page depicted two tigers biting each other's tail. For a sketch book, it seemed the lines were made with a brown ink.

"What do you think?" Fox asked with a wagging tail.

"They look like ying and yang" Chisa said before passing the sketchbook to chiaki," what do you think"

"Both of them seem rather odd, but I think that makes them look more interesting" Chiaki said," are they related?"

"You're both right in a way" fox said," the black one is named jue wang and the white one is named xi wang".

"Why does jue wang have red stripes and Xi wang has blue stripes?" Chiaki asked.

"They were both born from a mother with purple stripes, grey fur, and bronze eyes" fox explained.

"That kind of explains why Jue wang has golden eyes and chi wang has silver eyes" Chisa said.

"Do you draw pictures like this all the time?" Chiaki asked.

"Only when I'm inspired" fox said," now that I think of it, that black swan was pretty inspiring, so could I have my sketchbook please?"

Chiaki handed fox back the sketchbook. With sketchbook in paw, fox flipped to a blank page before rummaging through the sack again. From the sack, fox pulled out a jar filled with a thick red liquid and a black quill. Delicately, fox opened the jar and dipped the quill into the liquid. Chisa and chiaki waited without a word as Fox drew. Once the drawing was done, fox dried the quill before returning it to the sack along with the jar. Fox tucked the items away only to pull out two colored pencils. Again, Chisa and chiaki patiently waited while fox worked on the drawing. Some time passed before fox let out a relieved sigh and returned the two colored pencils to the sac.

"It's done" fox announced before offering the drawing to Chisa," what do you think?"

"It looks beautiful" Chisa said," like a hybrid between a fox and a black swan, which makes sense since they're two uniquely colored animals"

"It's defiantly something you would draw" Chiaki smiled as she looked at the picture of the silver fox with black swan wings," it's like a piece of you is intertwined with it"

"Thank you" fox said," it really means a lot.

"Have you shown others your drawings?" Chisa asked.

"For a while I did, but everyone always said the same thing" fox said," I always wanted them to ask questions or make theory's about my art, but they just said it was good before moving on"

"Maybe you should ask them to look at it more" Chisa said.

"I guess, but I don't want to force people" fox said," I want them to see my art with their own eyes and no one else's"

"Art really is a mysterious thing" Chiaki said.

"Agreed" Chisa said," though all this thinking has made me pretty hungry"

"Here, I brought some apples with me" fox said before pulling out three red apples from the sack.

"You really came prepared" Chiaki said as fox handed her an apple.

"I've always love apples, ever since I was a cub" fox said," though I also really love pomegranates"

"They're so beautiful that it's almost a shame to eat them" Chisa said.

"True, but I think beautiful things are meant to be consumed" fox said," if we didn't eat the apple, then it will eventually rot and never be fully enjoyed"

"I can see that since the inside of the apple is rather beautiful especially when the juice makes it sparkle like sand dust" Chiaki said.

"I agree" fox nodded while taking a bite from the apple.

"Where do you think we're headed to next?" Chisa asked.

"I don't know" fox said," but when do we ever know where we are going?"

"Aw, now my apple is just a core" Chiaki said after finishing her apple.

"At least you'll have the pleasant memory of experiencing the apple" Chisa smiled.

"You're right" Chiaki smiled back.

Once the apples were thoroughly consumed, fox wrapped them in a cloth and tuck them back into the sack. The trio stared out the window into a vast expanse of stars, curious as to what they would encounter next.


	6. The Sea

The train continued to move steadily towards where ever it was going. Eventually the train moved past the galaxy and entered a world completely consumed by an endless sea. The sea, however, was still as a mirror as it perfectly reflected the stars and moon above. Intrigued by its appearance, Chiaki opened the window to see herself reflected in the water. Chisa and Fox joined her in looking at there reflections. Just then, they felt the train slow down. Once the train came to a complete stop, a voice chimed in over the intercom.

"Welcome to Oceanus" the speaker announced," we will be stopping for a while"

"Lets go explore?" Chiaki suggested.

"I don't know" Chisa said," what if we encounter something dangerous"

"We'll be fine" Chiaki said," how about you fox?"

"I think it will be a nice experience" fox agreed.

"Alright, I guess I'll come too" Chisa smiled.

Together, the trio walked to the exit door only to find there was no physical station. Curious, Chiaki took off her footwear and tried to dip her toes in the water. However when chiaki touched her toe on the surface of the water it didn't sink in. Rather her foot was standing on the water. When she placed her other foot onto the water, it too didn't sink. Now with both feet on the water, Chiaki walked on the water causing ripples wherever she walked. When she looked back at her companions, she found they were still inside the train doorway.

"Come on" Chiaki said," you can do it"

Listening to chiakis words, Chisa stepped onto the water only to have her feet sink in by a few inches. Despite her feet being in the water, Chisa could still walk around as if she were on dry land. Following Chisa, fox entered the water only for it to go up to the torso. When Chisa and fox moved their feet, they felt a bit slower, Fox even more so. Just as the two were walking over to chiaki, they both felt something pulling at their submerged ankles. The two tried to ignore it and move forward only for the thing to start pulling them down into the water. Chiaki ran to try to help them, but ,by the time she reached them, they were already fully submerged. When she bashed her fist against the surface, it felt like hitting concrete.

In the water, Fox and Chisa could see the black tendrils that were pulling them down. Fortunately, they could breath but not as seamlessly as compared to land. As the tendrils pulled, it grew and expanded around them making it harder to resist. As softly as flakes of sand rubbing against each other, Chisa and Fox could each hear there own voice.

"I'm so lonely" foxes voice said," why won't anyone accept me?"

"My life is pathetic" chisas voice said," why haven't I accomplished anything worthwhile?

As the tendrils pulled them further down, the voices spoke more negative things. Fox listened to the voice until noticing its distorted truths.

"No" fox said," I'm not alone, because Chiaki and Chisa accepted me"

"They'll betray me" the fox voice said.

"No, they are kind and caring people fox said.

With those final words, the tendrils loosed and dissolved around fox. Once free, fox looked down to see an undercurrent of darkness. Fox turned to see Chisa being pulled further towards the current by the tendrils. In response, fox swam as fast as possible to chisas side, however the water felt thick like mud. Despite the difficulty, Fox continued to swim towards Chisa. Once by her side, Fox called out to her while she fell ever closer to the dark current.

"Chisa, you can't believe these distorted voices" fox said," you have to fight and expose them as lies"

Chisa looked into Foxs determined eyes and gained strength through them. Using the strength fox sparked in her, Chisa faced the voice.

"I have done worthwhile things!" Chisa shouted against the voice," I've made so many friends and experiences!"

With those words, the tendrils loosened but did not disappear completely.

"I met Chiaki and Fox, who both gave me wonderful memories that I will always treasure!" Chisa shouted," I may be seeking more experiences, but only because I know they will be as worthwhile as the experiences I've already had".

With those words, the tendrils vanished and allowed Chisa and fox to swim to the surface. The swim upwards was still difficult as it felt like swimming out of quicksand, however they stayed strong in the hopes to reach Chiaki. Sure enough, they reached Chiaki, only this time they were able to stand on the water like her.

"I'm so glad you two are safe" Chiaki said as she embraced the two.

"Somehow, I feel better than before" fox said.

"It's like coming out from a nice hot bath" Chisa commented.

"That's odd" Chiaki said," why are you both dry?"

"I don't know" fox said.

"We should get back onto the train" Chisa said.

"Agreed" Fox and Chiaki said in unison.

...

The trio boarded back onto to the train. As they did, the trains engines started up again. The trio walked back to their seats to find two new passengers.


	7. The eyes

When the trio looked at the two new passengers they saw them as four legged wolves. One wolf was white with a rainbow glisten in its coat, while the other one was a consuming black. Tied around each ones eyes was a grey cloth.

Cautiously, the trio sat down at their seats so as not to disturb the two passengers. As they sat down, the wolves ears perked and moved to the location of the sound.

"How long have you been on this train?" The white wolf asked.

"Oh, we've been riding for a while now" Chiaki explained.

"That's rather long" the black wolf said," do you know where you are going?"

"No, but does that matter?" fox replied.

"The future is an endless sea of possibilities" the black wolf said," those who do not have a desired destiny, are bound to be controlled by the waves"

"But sometimes the waves can take you somewhere more preferable" the white wolf.

"Or they could just drown you" the black wolf said bluntly.

"Thank you for your concern" Chisa said.

"Umm" fox tried to say," if I may ask, why do you cover your eyes?"

"Who said we had eyes?" The black wolf asked.

"My sibling is joking" the white wolf reassured," in truth, our eyes are very special"

"How so?" Chiaki asked.

"Why don't you see for yourself" the black wolf said," all three of you are free to look into our eyes"

Accepting the invitation, the trio walked over to the wolves and sat across from them. Both wolves helped remove the cloth from the others eyes. When the cloths were removed, both wolves had their eyes shut tight. The white wolf moved its head to face Fox and Chisa, while the black wolf moved its head to face Chiaki. Once in position, the two wolves opened their eyes in perfect sync, however their eyes were not like normal eyes. Instead, both wolves eyes looked like they were made out of a pair of gems. The black wolf had eyes of obsidian, while the white wolf had eyes of opalite. Both of the crystal eyes perfectly reflected the image of who they saw.

"I see, Fox" the white wolf said," you are a special soul that is capable of changing the world through your creativity and unique perspective"

"I see, Chiaki" The black wolf," You hide your tears and bite your tongue out of fear of being abandoned"

"I see, Chisa" the white wolf," through your kind and generous heart, you have set others on a better path and connected with them"

After the wolves words, they closed their eyes and recoiled their heads. The trio processed the wolves words just as the two wolves covered their eyes by the cloths.

"How did you know?" Chiaki asked a bit pale faced.

"Through our eyes" the black wolf responded.

"Thanks to our eyes, we have helped so many and will help even more" the white wolf said.

"But we understand our words are difficult to take in" the black wolf," still, it is necessary to deliver these truths"

"It's time to depart sibling" the white wolf said.

"Understood" the black wolf said.

"It was nice to meet you" Fox said.

"Thank you" the white wolf smiled.

With that, the two wolves hopped out of their seats. The opened the door and took their leave, however the train did not stop.

"Wait, look" fox said while pointing a paw to the window.

Outside, in the sea of space, the two wolves were flying. The black wolf flew with crow wings, while the white wolf flew with the wings of a crane. For a while, the trio watched the wolves fly away until they turned into specs that were smaller than the dots of stars. As the train carried on, the trio found themselves waiting in silence.


	8. The Herd

Like always, the train continued onward. On its way to wherever it was going, the train passed the stars, a lake of fire, and a field of crystals. For a while it seemed like the train would never stop, until it entered a world of bright green grass and clear blue skies. Through out the land, cherry blossom trees bloomed and barred bright red apples. As the train came to a stop, the trio spotted a large herd of what looked like zebras, however the zebras had long ears like a donkey, tails and manes like horses, and were stripped in such a way that it was impossible to tell if they where white with black stripes or black with white stripes. Most peculiar of all was that every zebra had its eyes tightly shut.

"Let's go check it out" Chiaki said to which the others agreed.

...

Out in the field, the trio got closer to the herd of zebra.

"Hello?" Chisa asked but to no reply.

"Excuse us, but we're visiting and wanted to talk to you" Chiaki said.

Once again, the zebras didn't respond as they grazed. Just before fox could tap one of the zebras, the trio heard a loud roar. Following the roar, a giant leopard leaped out from the grass and lunged at one of the zebras. The zebra struggled and called out, yet none of the other zebras reacted to her desperate pleas and just continued grazing. In a panic the trio raced towards the leopard, hoping to scare it off. Before they could reach the leopard, an elk like figure charged at the lion and saved the zebra.

"I know you need nourishment" the elk figure said," but you have already taken your share for today"

"I need this prey for my cubs" the white leopard said.

"If they are sick then I will help them" the elk figure said," but last I saw, they were healthy"

"Very well" the leopard said," i will come back tomorrow"

With that the leopard left, allowing for the trio to better see the elk figure.

The elk stood almost as high as a giraffe with its long silver coated neck and black tipped antlers. It's body was white like a cloud with a spot on its back that looked like a rainbow mosaic. The legs also looked like they were made of rainbow glass. Curling around the elk was a long bushy black tail that was the length of a snake. Decorating the elks face were different colored markings that complemented its crystal purple eyes. Most jarring of all was the intricate web in the elks antlers that looked like an eye.

"Are you alright?" The elk asked the zebra.

"I think so" the zebra said as she opened her eyes a bit to reveal purple irises," but what was that?"

"Do you really want to know?" The elk asked.

"I...don't know" the zebra said.

"Think out your options before you decide" the elk said," I will be around"

"Okay" the zebra said as she returned to her herd.

"Excuse us?" Fox asked the elk," who are you?"

"My name is Aron, but I suppose you have more questions" the elk said," so follow me"

Following the elks words, the trio followed Aron up a nearby hill. At the top stood a tall cherry blossom.

"Do you mind if we eat some of these apples?" Chisa asked.

"I would advise against it" Aron said," these apples place a heavy burden on those who eat them"

"Then we'll pass" Chiaki said.

"Um Aron" fox spoke up," why couldn't those zebras hear us"

"They just don't" Aron said solemnly," just as they don't see"

"It was nice of you to help them though" Chiaki said.

"Thank you" Aron said," But I am not a pure hero"

"Why is that?" Chisa asked.

Before Aron could answer, he started coughing a lot.

"Aron!" The trio said in unison.

Aron coughed some more before coughing up a golden sludge. When the sludge hit the ground, it was quickly absorbed by the grass.

"Are you okay?" Fox asked.

"My time as an elk is just growing short" Aron said," but I will be alright"

"Is there anything we can do?" Chisa asked.

"Yes" Aron said," just keep me company until the zebra arrives. I don't like to be alone"

"Sure" Chiaki said as the elk laid down," can I get you an apple?"

"No" Aron said calmly," I have no taste for them anymore"

"Are you the only elk here?" Fox asked.

"No" Aron said," there were plenty of elk before, but now they are somewhere else"

"Aron, you're shaking" Chisa said.

"So I am" Aron said," my old bones can hardly carry any burden anymore"

"Are you sick?" Fox asked worried.

"No" Aron said," I am just tired is all"

As Aron spoke, fox noticed that some of his colored markings were turning black and white hairs started to show in his tail. Before fox could ask, the zebra from before arrived. This time her eyes were more visible.

"I decided that I want to know more" the zebra said.

"Tell me" Aron said while pointing his nose to fox," what color is this creature"

"It's black and white" the zebra replied.

"Why did you come here?" Aron asked.

"I want to know how to protect myself" the zebra said.

"Is that all?" Aron asked.

"No" the zebra said," I want to know how to protect my herd"

"Will you accept the burden that you are asking for?" Aron asked.

"Yes" the zebra said.

"Then eat one of these apples" Aron said.

"Thank you" the zebra said.

As the zebra started to eat one the apples, Aron got up and started leaving.

"Where are you going?" Fox asked.

"Somewhere else" Aron said before running out of sight.

Before fox could catch him, the zebra screamed.

"What's wrong"? Chiaki asked.

"That creature isn't black and white" the zebra said," nothing is"

"Are you going to be okay?" Chisa asked.

"I think so" the zebra said," I just need some time to adjust"

"We never got your name" Chiaki realized.

"I think it's Nora" the zebra said," yes, I like that name"

"It's a pleasure to meet you Nora" Chisa smiled," I'm Chisa and this is Chiaki"

"And over there is fox" Chiaki said.

"I've never seen creatures like you before" Nora said," it's pretty exciting"

Just as they were getting to know each other, the train whistle sounded.

"We have to go, but it was nice to meet you" Chisa said.

"When you see that elk again, tell him we said goodbye" Chiaki said.

"Okay" Nora nodded.

"Come on fox" Chisa said,"we have to go"

"Oh, right" fox said while looking at the cherry blossom," I'll be right there"

As the trio waved goodbye to Nora, they noticed her black stripes were beginning to thin an small spots of color were forming on her face and legs. The trio ran swiftly past the herd and back onto the train.

"In glad we made it" Chiaki panted.

"I hope those two will be alright" Chisa said.

"Me too" fox said.


	9. The Change

Once the train passed the fields of green, the land disappeared little by little till the train was surrounded by clouds. The clouds looked so beautiful with a palette of sunset colors. Such clouds looked like they were bleeding, yet they looked so magical.

"Those clouds look like lava" Chisa said.

"Or strawberry jam" Chiaki laughed.

"They could look like any number of things" fox said.

Just as they spoke, they heard the train door open. Stepping through the rows of seat was a white lion wit blue winds for a mane. He panted as he walked before taking a seat on the opposite side of the trio.

"The sky sure is a beautiful thing" the white lion," doesn't matter where you go, the sky will change and yet it stays the same"

"Who are you" Chiaki asked.

"I'm sorry" the lion said," my name is mabadiliko"

"Mabadiliko?" Chiaki tried to pronounce.

"A mouth full I know" the lion laughed," you can call me maba for short"

"Well maba, what brings you here?" Fox asked.

"Just taking a trip to my summer home" maba said as he licked his paw," I have to catch the pack of foxes before they take off to who knows where"

"Wait" fox said," did you say there was a pack of foxes?"

"Yes" Maba said," about twenty or so"

"Twenty?!" fox asked.

"Last I checked" Maba said," though there could be more or could be less"

"I didn't know foxes lived in packs" Chisa said.

"They are usually solitary creatures due to how spread out and few of them there are" maba explained," but packs of foxes are not impossible"

"Where do these foxes live?" Fox asked.

"For now they live in the mountains, but they travel a lot" Maba said.

"Could I come with you?" Fox asked.

"If you want, but it's a very difficult journey to make" Maba said," you need to have certain qualities in order to reach the foxes"

"I see" fox said.

"What are the the foxes like?" Chiaki asked.

"They are rather unique" Maba said," the only real similarity between them is that they are all different"

"It must be very exciting to have different foxes in the same pack" Chisa said.

"It truly is amazing" Maba said," speak of the devil, we're almost there"

The group looked out to see mountains upon mountains. Hardly any life existed on those mountains aside from a few plants, yet they still looked magnificent. When the train arrived, the mountains were swallowed by the night. Countless stars twinkled in the sky alongside two crescent blue moons.

"The mountains look like they're made of amethyst" Chisa said.

"Or purple rock candy" Chiaki laughed.

The train stopped at the peak of one of the mountains. When the group exited the train, the mountains only carried the sound of the wind.

"Are you sure this is where the foxes are?" Chisa asked.

"They should be over these mountains" Maba said.

"Are you looking for those damn foxes?" A voice asked.

"Ah, palepale" Maba said.

The group looked at where the voice was to see a live bull, made of stone, with a broken horn.

"We're looking for the pack of foxes" Chiaki said," are they still here?"

"Yeah, but they will be going soon" palepale said," good riddance"

"What's wrong with the foxes?" Chisa asked.

"Each and everyone of them is insane" palepale said," they'll say things that will break you, my horn is proof of that"

"Even so" fox said," I want to see and judge for myself"

"Hah" palepale laughed," with the way you are now, you won't make it halfway there"

"Then" fox said before pulling out the apple from the cherry blossom trees," I'll eat this"

"That's..!" Maba said.

"I know what it is and what it will do" fox said," but I need to eat it, if I want to reach the foxes"

"Does this mean you're leaving?" Chiaki asked.

"Yes" fox said," but I promise I won't forget you two"

"Will we ever see you again?" Chisa asked.

"I don't know, but in case we don't..." fox said before pulling out the sketchbook and jar of red liquid.

Fox opened up the sketchbook and dipped the black feather in the liquid. Peacefully, fox drew a picture far from Chiaki and chisas gaze. When the sketch was done, fox colored the picture.

"This is for you" fox said while revealing the picture to chiaki and Chisa.

"It's beautiful" Chisa said after taking the picture.

"It's like you poured your heart into this picture" Chiaki said with a tear on her eye.

While chiaki and Chisa looked at the picture, fox started to eat the apple. Golden juice dripped from foxes' paws. Halfway through eating the apple, fox felt a sharp burning pain in the heart.

"Ah" fox screamed before falling to the ground and catching Chiaki and chisas attention.

"Fox" Chisa spoke.

"Stay away" fox advised," I'm going to be fine, just stay back"

As fox spoke fall flames flickered out of foxes mouth. The flicker of flames grew bigger until foxes fur started to combust and forced foxes eyes closed. Soon foxes' sweater burned away and revealed a large bleeding scar on foxes chest. Continuously, the flames burned away foxes flesh till all muscle and bone were revealed. Following this, the muscle and bone expanded and made fox bigger. The flames simmered down as fox was forced to stand on all four legs. While growing use to standing on four legs, flesh and red fur rabidly grew back. Just when it seemed that fox was getting better, foxes tail broke into two separate tails. Once all the fur had grown back, a pair of black wings sprouted out of foxes back. Blood fluttered off from the wings, through the sky, and onto the ground. The wings flapped and dried the blood, before foxes eyes opening and revealing a pair of burning gold irises.

"Fox?" Chiaki asked.

"Is that you?" Chisa asked.

"I don't know" fox said," but I think so"

"You've changed a lot" Chisa said.

"Yes, I have" fox said," but it's still me"

"When you are ready" maba said," I can guide you to the pack of foxes"

"I guess I'm really going" fox said.

"I'll miss you" Chiaki cried as she wrapped her arms around foxes neck.

"Me too" Chisa said while stroking foxes head.

"It's sad that we have to be apart" fox said," but without you two, I might never have found the foxes. So thank you"

Fox gave the two a tender nuzzle and let them dry their tears in foxes fur. Once every tear was shed and dried, fox picked up the sack and expanded the wings. Just as fox did, the sun rose and turned the mountains red. Rising along with the sun, were strange cries and sounds over the mountains.

"That's them" fox said while tearing up," I never thought I'd hear those sounds"

"Let's go" Maba said.

"Yes" fox said with outstretched wings," goodbye my friends"

Together Fox and maba flew through the air. Maba ran through the air like a wisp of wind while fox flew like a bird. Chisa and chiaki watched until the the two beast flew far past the horizon.

"It takes great strength and courage to do what that fox did" palepale said," I'm rather jealous"

"Couldn't you make the journey of you wanted?" Chiaki asked.

"Not at the cost of what that fox experienced" palepale said," it's better for me this way as I await my last sunset"

"Palepale" Chiaki said only for the train to chime in.

"We have to go" Chisa said.

"Good luck on your travels" palepale said as the two boarded the train.

...

Back on the train, the two looked out at the field of red mountains beneath the rising sun. The train started to move as it always did and yet there was an uncomfortable silence.


	10. The Puzzle

As always, the train continued to move. It didn't stop to mourn the passage of time or the loss of passengers, it just kept moving forward like the cold machine it was. Never would it be able to turn around, yet Chisa and chiaki secretly wished that it would. Ignoring their wishes, the train moved forward through the vast emptiness of space.

"Maybe if we wait" Chisa said," we'll meet someone new"

"I don't think that we will be satisfied with them" Chiaki said," this just isn't the right time"

"How much time has passed?" Chisa asked.

"I don't know" Chiaki said," however it feels like not much time has past"

"Are you sure?" Chisa asked," it feels like we've been looking out into space for days"

"Do you think we have the same heart beat?" Chiaki asked.

"Maybe every now and then, but never all the time" Chisa said," why do you ask"

"Maybe the way in which people experience time is similar to how they experience their own heartbeat" Chiaki said.

"What leads you to think that?" Chisa asked.

"It just came to me" Chiaki said," don't you have any thoughts like that?"

"I guess, but I don't remember most of them" Chisa said.

"Do you think it's a blessing or a curse?" Chiaki asked.

"I honestly don't know" Chisa said.

...

"Where do you think this train is going?" Chisa asked.

"I don't know" Chiaki said.

"What's even the point?" Chisa asked.

"I don't know" Chiaki said.

"There should be a reason" Chisa said.

"Maybe the universe is in the stomach of an ant" Chiaki said.

"No, I doubt that's it" Chisa said.

"Why don't we explore the train for ourselves" Chiaki said.

"Might as well since it seems we won't be stopping anytime soon" Chisa said.

The two got up and walked to the train door. Chisa held her hand on the door knob for a bit before taking a deep breath and opening it. Together they walked to the the next train car.

When they opened the train car they found a room full of strange and varied puzzle pieces in every nook and cranny. Some pieces were organized in groups, while most pieces were scattered about or in a trash bin. Scurrying amongst these puzzle pieces were mice of all shapes and colors. Chisa and chiaki tried carefully to walk around the mice and puzzle pieces.

"Hey, what pieces do you have?" A brown mouse squeaked to them.

"We already know those creatures are rumanus" a white mouse said," they're too dumb to know anything that we don't"

"We understand you" Chiaki said,"but we're humans"

"They say they're humans" the brown mouse said.

"We already have everything on rumanus" the white mouse said," focus on the pieces about culas structure"

"Wait, I think I have some pieces with me" Chiaki said as she reached into her pockets.

"Me too" Chisa said with hands in pockets.

Together, Chisa and chiaki offered four hands full of puzzle pieces. Most of the pieces were too big for the mouse to hold. Furious, the white mouse scurried over.

"Don't waste your time with these pieces" the white mouse said," they're insignificant"

"But what's this shape on here?" The brown mouse asked.

"A mouselings scribble" the white mouse said.

"It's a circle" Chiaki said.

"A circle?" The brown mouse asked.

"It's incomprehensible is what it is" the white mouse said," leave it and focus on the important pieces"

"I want to focus on these pieces" the brown mouse said.

"Fine" the white mouse puffed," but don't come crying to me when you waste your life on these insignificant pieces"

With that, the white mouse scurried off.

"Thank you for the pieces" the brown mouse said.

"Are you sure you'll be able to comprehend them?" Chisa asked.

"Maybe never in full" the brown mouse said," but then I can add my own thoughts"

"If this is a puzzle, where is the guide?" Chiaki asked.

"No one knows" the brown mouse says," we wouldn't be making this puzzle if we did"

"Makes sense" Chisa said," good luck"

"Thank you" the brown mouse said.

Chisa and chiaki left the mouse with the puzzle pieces only to sense their were more puzzle pieces in the car now. They tiptoed past the mice and pieces. Just when they were about to leave through the door, Chiaki noticed something up above. Displayed on the ceiling was what appeared to be a spider web. The spider web held within hits countless threads, a pattern beyond comprehension or imagination. Its pattern shined in their eyes like a blinding light. Eventually the blinding light grew too much for them and they exited the train car.


	11. The Belles

Chiaki and Chisa opened the door to the next train car to find it overgrown with vegetation. Lush green green grass covered the seats and vines covered every inch of the walls. When they walked, Chisa could hear the soft jingle of a bell or two as colorful lights like an aurora rose from the ground and dispersed in the air. The more they walked, the more jingles and lights were created. Halfway through the train car, Chiaki and Chisa decided to take a seat next to the window. Unlike the windows before, this window was made of all sorts of stained glass and didn't form into a specific pattern. Outside was still a void of space and stars, but now a half moon graced them with its presence. When chiaki gazed through the glass and at the moon, she could hear a soft ringing bell.

"It's a shame that the moon isn't full" Chisa said.

"Why would that matter?" Chiaki said.

"If it was full, then it would fill this train car with moonlight" Chisa said.

"Don't you think it's odd that people claim to love the moon, but only when it's whole and perfect?" Chiaki asked.

"It's just a preference" Chisa said.

"I think it's mean to the moon" Chiaki said," considering how short lived and hard it is to be whole"

"You're right, but sometimes people need to rely on the wholeness of the moon in order to survive in the darkness" Chisa said.

"I understand and I think you're right too" Chiaki smiled.

"Can you imagine if someone had a pair of stained glass lenses?" Chisa asked.

"There's no doubt that some people do" Chiaki said," just as much as people with dark lenses"

"I feel sorry for animals that can't see the colors we do" Chisa said.

"I don't think animals have time to appreciate beauty like we do" Chiaki said.

"It seems even humans don't have time to appreciate beauty" Chisa said," like someone who works all the time"

"Maybe he can find beauty in the sky, the little free time he has, or the coffee he drinks" Chiaki said," but we just won't know until we ask"

"What even is beauty?" Chisa asked," is it perfection?"

"That's like asking what is a human" Chiaki said," what is beautiful to you about this room?"

"The vegetation" Chisa said.

"Why?" Chiaki asked.

"It's just peaceful and reminds me of my home" Chisa explained," what about you?"

"I think the moon is beautiful for how it changes and brightens in the night" Chiaki said.

"I hear the Belles in your voices" a voice said.

Chiaki looked to find a rabbit poking its head out from underneath chisas seat. The rabbit hopped out from hiding to reveal its white fur covered in a few black spots. It twitched its whiskers before hopping onto chiakis seat, there Chiaki noticed the rabbits eyes were scratched out.

"Who are you?" Chisa asked.

"I am Lapin" the rabbit said as she cleaned her face.

"I'm sorry if we disturbed you" Chiaki said.

"I hardly ever get visitors, so it doesn't bother me" Lapin said," but do try to silence the belles in your voices"

"Belles?" Chisa asked.

"Yes, belles" Lapin said," I use to hear the belles in everything, but since I lost my eyes and remained here I hear fewer belles than before"

"Did someone take your eyes?" Chisa asked.

"I did it myself" Lapin said," but I prefer it this way"

"How could you hear the belles in everything?" Chiaki asked.

"Everything has belles in it" Lapin explained," however it is impossible for any normal creature to hear the belles in everything"

"Why?" Chiaki asked.

"As you said yourself, it takes time an attention" lapin said.

"that makes sense" Chisa said," but what about the belles you do hear?"

"I get use to and appreciate them" lapin said," after all, they are always melodious"

"It must get lonely being here by yourself" Chiaki said.

"I get quite a few visitors here" Lapin said," so don't worry about me"

"Where did they go?" Chisa asked.

"Where ever they wanted to go, I guess" Lapin said with a yawn," you two will do the same eventually"

"Is that okay?" Chiaki asked.

"Of course" Lapin said," you can't spend your existence in this room"

"We should probably get going to the next train car" Chiaki said.

"Planning to meet the conductor?" Lapin asked.

"Yes" Chisa said.

"It's good to be progressive, but be careful with what you encounter" lapin said.

"We will" Chiaki said before patting lapins head.

"The Belles in your voices are very soft and sweet" lapis said.

After saying goodbye to lapin, Chiaki and Chisa left for the next train car.


	12. The Circus

When chiaki and Chisa opened the door to the next train car, they found it looked like the one they travelled on since the beginning except for one thing. Pitched in the middle of the train car was a small red and white circus tent. Looking closer, they found the red stripes of the tent were arrows that. all that originated from the top of the tent. As they drew nearer to the tent, they could hear a little voice singing. They looked into the tent to see it was much bigger on the inside. Curious, they walked into the tent.

"Have you ever been to the circus?" Chiaki asked.

"Once when I was little, but I don't think I liked it as a kid" Chisa said.

"Visitors!" The singing voice from before said.

Chiaki and Chisa looked to see a really tiny anthropomorphic fox running the ticket booth. For a little fox, he had the biggest ears like a kangaroo and the tinniest tail like a rabbit.

"Are you here to see lady Erises circus?" The little fox asked.

"I don't know" Chisa said.

"We might as well" Chiaki said," it will be like all the other spectacular things we've seen"

"It's true" the little fox said," our circus guarantees a thrilling and experience for everyone"

"Alright" Chisa said.

"Excellent, just go right in" the fox said," no payment needed, for the experiences we offer are priceless"

"Thank you" Chiaki said.

With their agreement, the little fox hopped off his stool and pulled open the curtain into the real circus. Chiaki and Chisa followed the little fox into the magnificently large ring. There dozens of Japanese lanterns lit up the tent and revealed several cages scattered about.

"By the way" the little fox said," my name is Kit and I am the leader of this lovely circus".

Chiaki looked in one of the cages to see a beast like none she had ever seen before. The beast had seven paws with ten curved claws. Its legs were long and skinny like toothpicks with a body that twisted and curled into itself. The head of the beast was long and slender with tentacles spilling out of its mouth and 19 beady little eyes that looked everywhere at once.

"What is this?" Chiaki asked.

"I don't know" kit said.

"Does it have a name?" Chisa asked.

"Oh no" Kit said," I despise names, more than I despise words"

"But you said you had a name" Chisa said.

"It's really just for your convenience" Kit said before coughing up something.

"Are you alright?" Chisa asked.

"It's nothing" kit said while taking a handkerchief to his muzzle and spitting something into it,"Now then, to the next cage"

Chisa and chiaki looked into the next cage to see a creature with a long neck made of veins and eyes. Its head was flat and long like a curved blade as it appeared to have no mouth. A liquid mass that contained a few functioning eyeballs bled out the sides of its face. While it had four legs each leg was different yet melded with the skeletal torso. Stretching out from its back was a wing of wrinkling flesh.

"How did this creature come to exist?" Chiaki asked as the eyes stared at her.

"I don't know" kit said," perhaps it just exist in a world unseen by the natural senses"

Following his sentance, kit coughed so hard that his tail seemed to split into seven. Again, kit wiped his muzzle with a blackened handkerchief. Before Chisa or Chiaki could act, kit smiled and simply ushered them to the next cage. The next cage was empty, so they moved onto another cage. When they came to the cage, it was incredibly tall and housed a similarly tall creature. Its whole body was comprised of needle thin limbs. Some thin limbs were used to stand while other limbs held lanterns on them. Somewhere in the vast collection of thin limbs was what Chisa and chiaki could only guess was the head. The supposed head only looked like a thick and pointed needle crowned with a mess of twisting and turning branches.

"Isn't it beautiful what the mind can conceive?" Kit asked.

"It's certainly interesting" Chisa said.

"Are you sure it doesn't have a name?" Chiaki asked.

"It never told me" kit said.

"Can it speak?" Chisa asked.

"Maybe it can, maybe it can't" kit said with a twitch in his ear," maybe it speaks in quivering needles, contorting it's body into letters, or spinning its limbs off till mouths come out"

"Are you okay?" Chiaki asked.

"I may or may not be okay" kit laughed," I may be a creature with a body of a spiral, I may be dead, I may be a spec of dust"

"You should sit down" Chiaki said while the fox continued to speak of what he may be.

"Such certainty" kit said just as pools of black ink welled up in his mouth," is it your anchor or your chain?"

"You're sick" Chisa said.

"Again with the certainty!" Kit shouted and projected some ink from his mouth," is it all you live for or is it all you die for?"

Before Chisa and chiaki could try to help, they noticed something under kits skin. Through out kits body, somethings poked and lifted the skin around. Chisa and chiaki stood frozen as they watched the little foxs eyes role into the back of his head.

"Yes, maybe you simple, no pitiful, no fearful creatures can never throw yourselves into the void of space" fox laughed," you need your precious gravity in order to live"

With those final words, the lumps in kits skin violently sprung forward and ripped through the fox. The things that came out of fox danced and laughed before forming into a ball above the empty remains. From the ball, arose eight fox heads with eyes rolled into the back of their heads. Their faces were long and thin and their fur was red as whine with a variety of black marking. Seven of the heads formed unusually large necks compared to the one head that had a normal neck. When the rest of the body formed it was a foxes body, but covered in bizarre black markings. Now that the body was formed, it was revealed that the seven heads were on seven tails.

"Kit?" Chiaki breathed.

"Maybe we were, maybe we never were" the fox creature laughed in eight different voices," are we a fox or are we a demon?"

As the fox creature rambled off possibilities, black ink spewed out of its mouths. The ink that spilled to the ground turned into horrifying creatures that danced and sang in broken melodies.

"Who or what are we?" The fox creature sang," are we a rock or can we fly?"

As the fox spewed more ink and absurd thoughts, Chisa and chiaki snuck over to the open flap on the other side of the tent. They passed by a few cages full of creatures only for the bars to rust away and the creatures to be free. Just when the two neared the exit, three of the fox creatures elongated heads moved to block the way.

"Let's see what we will do with you" the three heads laughed," maybe we will tear you limb from limb, maybe we will drown you in ink, or maybe we will swallow you whole to form a new head"

The black ink stained every inch of the circus ground, before veins of ink started to latch and climb up the tent. As the creature sang and danced about, they joined in a dysfunctional parade all around the tent.

"Maybe we will keep you alive as servants or attractions or pets or future meals" the fox heads laughed as one licked its lips," such unpredictability is so exciting or horrifying or arousing"

"But we are so ordinary compared to you" Chiaki said only for every creature to laugh.

"You speak with such certainty that you blind yourself into believing any little convenient lie" the fox creature laughed," perhaps it is you two who are the extraordinary ones"

"Please, let us go" Chisa begged.

"What fun possibilities could come out of that?" The fox heads asked.

"We could...come back with an army to slay you" Chiaki tried to think," or we could find a god of peace that could turn you into stone or a bird or a spec of dust"

"We see" the fox heads said," you may go, but know that we could always be everywhere or nowhere"

"Thank you" Chiaki bowed her head before running to the exit with Chisa.

"Run and be free, or don't" the fox heads laughed," For those who fall upon me may never be who they were before"

Once Chisa and chiaki left, the ink began to return into the mouths of the fox heads. The creatures returned to their cages while the fox creature absorbed every last drop of ink. When not a spec of ink remained, the fox creature contorted its body into a ball of ink. The ink that dropped from the ball, moved around a bit before starting to glue kits remains back together. After the body was put back together, the ball of black ink formed strings of ink that entered through the body's ears, eyes, nostrils, and mouth. The ink pumped into the body like blood pumping through veins, until all the ink had entered the body. Kits eyes rolled back from their sockets as he twitched his nose. Without a word, kit simply returned to the ticket booth.

...

Outside the tent, Chisa and chiaki caught their breathe. They waited for the sweat on their foreheads to dry before venturing on to the next train car.


	13. The Creator

Before they moved on to the next train car, Chiaki and Chisa took a moment to breathe. As they did, the train continued without stopping. Once they were mentally prepared, they entered the train car.

Compared to the chaos of the last train car, this train car was a lot calmer. There were no seats, but there was plenty of paper and art supplies scattered about. In the center of the train car and sitting next to the window, an anthropomorphic painted wild dog worked at her desk. At her desk, the painted wild dog drew a snake like creature with leaf like wings. Chisa and chiaki tried to be quiet only for them to stir the papers on the floor. The painted wild dogs' ear moved to the source of their sound before she moved her head to see them.

"We're sorry to disturb you" Chiaki said.

"It's absolutely fine" the painted dog said," I absolutely love visitors"

"Is this your studio?" Chisa asked.

"Yep" the painted dog said," sure it may be small and it's far from the prestige of Heaven, but I love it very much"

"We knew someone who was an artist too" Chisa said," I'm sure they would have loved to meet you"

"Who knows, maybe I've already met them" the painted dog smiled," existence is a beautifully mysterious thing"

"Oh, we forgot to introduce ourselves" Chiaki said," my name is Chiaki and this is Chisa"

"My name is Nuru" the painted dog said.

"Your fur is beautiful" Chiaki said.

"That's very sweet of you" Nuru smiled," you two have such lovely souls. I'm certain you have both experienced so many unique and beautiful things in those forms"

"Forms?" Chiaki asked.

"That's just my artist vocabulary" Nuru said," come here and I'll show you what I've been working on"

Chiaki and Chisa looked at the colorless picture from before.

"What is it?" Chiaki asked.

"I don't really know myself" Nuru said," but I'm sure it will find its own meaning, I just need to give it essence"

Nuru reached for some colored pencils before coloring in the drawing. Once the last spot was colored in, the drawing moved around on the page before popping out into their world.

"What a lovely thing you are" Nuru smiled," you may not be perfect and you are a bit rough around the edges, but the flaws of your form will give strength an uniqueness to your essence"

"It seems confused" Chiaki said as the creature flew about the room.

"It's a necessary step in developing the essence" Nuru said before catching the creature," I'm sure you will experience all sorts of things, so do your best and don't be ashamed of being"

With those words, Nuru tossed the creature out the window. The creature was violently ejected from the body of the train as the winds blew it away. Nuru put her paws together, closed her eyes, and stayed silent for a while. When she was finished, she sharpened her colored pencils before speaking again.

"Are there any other questions you have?" Nuru asked.

"Do you know what this train is?" Chiaki asked.

"A vessel" Nuru said," or was it something else"

"How did you get here?" Chisa asked.

"No one really seems to remember when their life began" Nuru said," nor do they fully know how they become who they are"

"Why do you draw?" Chiaki asked.

"I draw to create forms and I color to give essence" Nuru said," while form and essence may exist apart, they require time together to develop one another"

"That's and interesting way to view your drawings" Chiaki said," but what comes first, essence or form?"

"Essence originated in the form of my god, so the form came first" Nuru said," my god needed the essence in order to create more forms, but not before my god needed a form in order to develop that essence"

"My head hurts a bit" Chisa said.

"My apologies" Nuru said," I spend so much time in my head that it's difficult for me to transition back out"

"It's fine" Chiaki reassured," you have a lot of interesting things to say"

"Thank you" Nuru said," now please share your own knowledge with me"

"I wouldn't call my knowledge my own" Chiaki admitted," it's more like a culmination of things I experience and believe"

"My drawings are the same" Nuru said," they may be mixes of things that already existed, but a mix of colors creates a new color"

"Then I guess I believe that God created us all with a set purpose, but God is happy to see us create our own purpose" Chiaki explained.

"I see" Nuru said," I believe in a similar things. Now it's your turn Chisa"

"Well...I don't really believe in God" Chisa admitted," I'm terrified of knowing there's no life after death, but I'd rather be surprised to find an after life then be disappointed by an absence of an after life"

"You two contrast like light and dark, yet you need each other to show your differences" Nuru explained," while I am more inclined to chiakis belief, chisas belief is valuable and important to understand"

"You don't hate me for what I believe even if it's against your belief?" Chisa asked.

"My god says that hatred is a waste of our short existence" Nuru said," you are not against me, you are merely different from me"

"That's a relief" Chisa said," I think your belief is interesting"

"Thank you for your kindness" Nuru said," and remember that even if you don't believe in my god, my god will always believe in you"

The train moved past the void of space to a desolate field. All across the field, barren tree like structures sprouted up from the grand. The trunks of the trees twisted and turned while the branches all curved around a large egg in each tree. Lightning struck and lit up the interiors of the eggs.

"Are those...?" Chisa asked.

"Dogs, foxes, wolves" Nuru said," All can be found in the graveyard"

"Are they dead?" Chiaki asked.

"It's debatable" Nuru said," from what I've heard, the exterior of the egg is nearly impossible to break through"

"Some look peaceful, yet others look miserable" Chisa said

"Each one has their reasons to be confined and protected within the egg" Nuru said," if we are not careful, each one of us could end up in our own egg"

"It's scary to think we could be one step close to destruction" Chisa said.

"You should meet my friend Phos" Nuru said," I'm sure he could help you"

"Where are they?" Chiaki asked.

"He's in the next train car with his patient" Nuru explained," don't worry about bothering him, Phos is always ready to lend a helping paw"

"Thank you Nuru" Chiaki said as the desolate field faded from view.

"You're are welcome" Nuru smiled," it was a pleasure to meet you and I pray to my god that you both will find what you are looking for"

"You really are kind" Chisa said.

"Likewise" Nuru smiled and wagged her tail a bit," enjoy the journey that my god has given you"

Chiaki and Chisa waved goodbye before exiting and walking to the next train car.


End file.
